11:52am Friday 3rd September 2010
Toy guns fitted with potentially lethal laser beams have been seized in an early morning raid by trading standards officers at a Sunday market in North Yorkshire.
The Chinese-made toys, which sell for under £10, are so dangerous that they have been banned from sale across Europe. The laser has been found to be nearly 20 times more powerful than permitted by toy safety regulations - yet the packaging says that the toy is suitable for children from five years of age.
Following a tip off, North Yorkshire County Council’s trading standards staff visited Catterick Sunday market and located a stall being run by a trader from Oldham. A search revealed a stockpile of the illegal toy weapons, all of which were seized.
In July this year laboratory tests led to a Europe-wide recall of the guns. The tests showed that the guns pose a risk of damage to sight because they incorporates class 3B lasers.
The black plastic toy gun comes in a yellow box with TD-2007 written in silver along the top. The gun contains a built-in laser module which is initiated using a button near the trigger. The laser is so powerful that it can blind if shone directly into a person’s eyes and there are concerns that the “toys” could lead to fatal results if fired at drivers and aircraft pilots.
County Councillor Clare Wood, Executive Member for Trading Standards, said: “These are extremely dangerous so-called toys, which could easily have the most horrific consequences. They could for example easily damage a child's eyes.”
Trading Standards are advising parents whose children might have one of the guns to remove the batteries and call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 to report where the item was bought.
Trading Standards staff are now investigaing the source of the imported guns which were seized at the Sunday market in Catterick.
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